Sports Handicapper Michael Alexander's Picks & Predictions

Rating: 2 Units

The Avalanche are on tired legs, and that is going to hurt their production in this game. The Ducks, in the last game, scored three goals, but even better was the defense giving up only two goals. In this game, the Avalanche’s offense is going to really struggle to get any sort of offense going here, and it’s going to be the Ducks that are going to come out on top. Back the Ducks on the money line. 

Rating: 2 Units

The Washington Capitals are coming off back-to-back losses, so oddsmakers have gotten scared and are leaning toward the more consistent team in the Canes. Still, the Caps have been too good and explosive this season to turn down in the underdog role. Also, the Carolina Hurricanes have seen 6 of their 10 losses this season come on the road. The Capitals have also won 3 of their last 4 games in the underdog role. The value is with the Capitals and the plus money. I'll take the more favorable price on this fine Friday night.

Rating: 2 Units

The Oklahoma City Thunder are averaging 115.2 points on 46.5 percent shooting and allowing 103.3 points on 42.5 percent shooting. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 30.3 points and 6.3 assists, while Jalen Williams is averaging 21.7 points and 6.1 rebounds. Chet Holmgren is the third double-digit scorer and Isaiah Hartenstein is grabbing 12.3 rebounds. The Oklahoma City Thunder are shooting 35 percent from beyond the arc and 81.4 percent from the free throw line. The Oklahoma City Thunder are allowing 33.1 percent shooting from deep and are grabbing 43.3 rebounds per game.

Rating: 2 Units

St. John’s comes into this game looking for their fifth win in a row and they have scored 88+ points in their last three games. The Red Storm are shooting over 48% from the field and they are scoring nearly 85 points per game this year. Providence has alternated wins and losses over their last five games and they have lost five of their last seven. The Friars are shooting just 43% from the field, but they do play pretty well on the defensive end of the court. I don’t have much faith in this Providence team and with Hopkins’ status up in the air, I have to go with St. John’s on the road. 

CFB Playoff Play of the Day

Rating: 3 Units

The Fighting Irish have a surprising 0-2 SUATS record vs. the Big 10 in bowl games since 2000 and since 1995, an even weirder 1-13 SU and 3-11 ATS in bowls versus .666 teams. The IU numbers are sweeter than a Hoosier Sugar Cream Pie, with Cignetti 30-6 all time vs. FBS and 6-1 SUATS vs teams .750 or greater and 5-1 ATS coming off a win over 48 plus points. IU has lived off the brilliant play of Manning Award fi nalist Kurtis Rourke (27 TD 4 INT and his top target Elijah Sarret, who rode along to Bloomington with Cignetti from James Madison. The Irish turn to veteran QB Riley Leonard (16 passing TDs and 14 rushing) plus the strong legs of Jeremiyah Love, who has scored in each game this season. The victory formula is simple: the winner of the run game vs. run defense battle should prevail. Consider that Bowl dogs who score 56 or more in their final regular season game are 5-1 SUATS since 1990, including 5-0 SUATS if they gave up 27 points or fewer on the season.

Rating: 2 Units

The Gators are also 0-3 ATS in the last three bowl games, and they were a 7-point or greater favorite in and against bowling teams this year; the Boys from Old Florida were 2-5 SU and 1-6 ITS (In The Stats). The almighty SEC is also 1-3 vs the AAC in bowl games (we will be checking under the hoods of our car before starting it after printing that). In the meantime, Tulane HC Jon Sumrall spurned North Carolina’s advances and signed a contract extension to stay in New Orleans, but the same cannot be said for highly-touted QB Darian Mensah, who fl ed to Duke this week. Look for Tulane to lean heavily on RB Makhi Hughes, who ran for 1,372 yards with 15 scores. Florida QB D.J. Lagway was the fan favorite in Gainesville from the first game on, and after his counterpart Graham Mertz tore his knee, Lagway began to show the form that has everyone excited for next year as he appears to be avoiding the magnetic transfer portal. He finished 5-1 as a starter after a 31-11 win over Tallahassee Community College. But Lagway will be running into a quality Green Wave defense that held four teams to season-low yardage in a season of bookends. Tulane started 1-2 and finished 0-2, but the middle was sweeter than the center of a Reese’s Cup, 7-0 SU and 6-1 ATS. Assuming there are no more dramatic transfers out of Tulane, consider that playing against any college bowl double-digit favorite coming off a SU victory and 3 ATS wins if they have won outright in 17 or fewer of their last 22 games.is 11-0 ATS.

Rating: 2 Units

Unsurprisingly, the 61-year-old Rich Rod has done a superb job at the school, going 26-10 and 18-3 in league play. The Gamecocks lead the country in rushing plays of 10-plus yards with 102 and are eighth in the country in red zone touchdown percentage (75.6). On the negative side, the Gamecocks have allowed more than 400 yards in four of their last six games. We’ll toss in the fact that CUSA bowl dogs off a win are 2-7 ATS versus MAC opponents, and Rodriguez is 2-9-1 ATS in bowl games.